In various industrial situations, it is frequently necessary to carry out maintenance and repair procedures upon installed pipes and other conduits without disassemblying them, and particularly on sections that include joints, valves and similar in-line fixtures. In many instances, and particularly at facilities such as nuclear and chemical plants, the performance of such work exposes personnel to serious hazards, such as from noxious and dangerous gases, liquids and particulates. While special clothing and headgear is widely utilized for the protection of individuals against such hazards, equipment of that nature is frequently quite uncomfortable and restrictive for the wearer, and tends to be rather expensive. Moreover, such individualized gear can, of course, provide no general protection for others in the vicinity, who might be exposed to the same conditions.
The practice of enclosing a section of conduit needing attention within a hood or like structure is described in the prior art, exemplary devices used for the purpose being shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,378,123 to Beck and 3,148,699 to Shindler. Nevertheless, a substantial need remains for a portable enclosure that is effective to isolate the work site and provide protection for personnel in the vicinity, while permitting convenient access to the part under repair or maintenance.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel portable hood for containment of a conduit section or the like, so as to permit isolated maintenance and repair thereof under relatively safe conditions.
It is a more specific object of the invention to provide such a hood that will permit convenient access to the part under repair or maintenance, while minimizing exposure of the technician and others in the vicinity to risk.
A further object of the invention is to provide a hood having the foregoing features and advantages, which is also easy to assemble and disassemble, convenient to use, and relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a novel portable maintenance hood system which affords the foregoing features and benefits.